Percy woke up on the floor, his cheek pressed against the carpet. The room was quiet, save for the soft breathing of the others sprawled around him. Empty bottles littered the space like forgotten memories. Someone snored. Someone muttered in their sleep. The air smelled faintly of alcohol and sweat.
He blinked at the ceiling, disoriented.
Light poured through the tall windows, reflecting off the glass and painting the walls in pale gold. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. His body felt heavy, but not in a bad way just unfamiliar. For once, he hadn't woken up at six forty-five. No alarm. No cold floor. No routine.
That realization hit harder than expected.
He hadn't slept through the night in years. Not since the orphanage. Not since everything changed.
Percy looked around at the others Lane, Ruko, Luna, Rainy, all collapsed in various states of exhaustion. They were loud, ridiculous, and half-insane… but they were also the most lively people he'd spoken to in a long time.
He smiled, just a little, and pulled on his school uniform coat.
The elevator was packed.
Hunters filled every inch of space, armored and half-awake, their eyes already locked on the day ahead. Percy squeezed into a corner, trying not to breathe too loudly. The tension was thick not hostile, just focused. Everyone was preparing to enter the realms.
He got off at the lobby and stepped into the cafe, hoping for some breakfast.
But it was crowded with hungry hunters preparing to enter the nightmare realm again today.
Percy instead went outside for some fresh air.
He felt his pockets for his wallet, deciding why not eat out.
Then he remembered.
His wallet. His phone. The ribbon.
He hadn't picked up his belongings from the Association after the trial. He'd forgotten. Somehow, in the chaos of surviving, he'd left behind the only things that still tied him to his old life.
Despite the cold, he ran.
The wind bit at his skin, but he didn't stop. It took twenty-five minutes to reach the Association. The hotel wasn't far, but the weight in his chest made every step feel longer.
He burst through the doors, panting.
"...My belongings. I never got them."
The receptionist blinked after he nearly gave her a scare. After a few minutes, she returned with a small box.
Percy tied the ribbon back around his wrist immediately. It felt wrong without it. Like something was missing.
He opened the wallet. No cash. He groaned then...
A crinkled photo slipped out and landed on the floor.
He picked it up.
It was Ariel's face.
her face stared back at him. Her smile was soft, her eyes bright moment forever frozen in time.
The photo was taken before the trial. Before the Soulless route. Before everything.
Percy stared at it for a long time.
After a while, he blew into his hands to warm them and walked toward the Devoción Café. He didn't plan to go in just a peek.
The café looked the same. Luxurious. Quiet. He stood outside, scanning the windows. The employees moved inside, but she wasn't there.
He lingered.
Then turned away.
She was practically a stranger after all, he seemed like a creep, and he decided that thinking of her would just distract him. He tossed the photo into a nearby bin and walked back to the hotel.
Everyone was awake now.
Ruko was pulling on a brown coat with a fur-lined collar. Luna was tying her boots. Kiyo was adjusting his belt.
"Oh hey, short-stuff No. 2. Where've you been?" Ruko asked.
"Good morning," the others said except Rainy and Zero, who didn't bother.
Lane handed Percy a uniform.
"Here. Get dressed and meet us downstairs."
"Okay."
Percy stepped into the bathroom and examined the gear.
The chestplate was black and thin, designed to absorb impact without restricting movement.
[ Chestplate ]
[ Class: Armor ]
[ Rank: Astral ]
[ Skill: None ]
He set it aside and pulled on the uniform a black compression shirt, flexible and breathable. The hunter's kit belt came next, stocked with holy water, an entity detector, and his spirit weapon: a curved, single-edged falchion. It was heavier than expected. He strapped it to his back.
The gloves were fingerless, reinforced with iron across the knuckles. The boots had retractable spikes for terrain traversal. He finished it off with the signature brown coat.
He looked in the mirror.
The uniform fit, he struck a pose to try and look cool but just cringed instead.
He ran out, down the elevator, and met the others.
"Looking good there, short-stuff," Ruko said, slapping his back.
"Yeah, fits you nicely. Let's go," Lane added. Luna and Kiyo nodded and smiled.
They exited the hotel and climbed into a roofless truck.
Percy stared at it.
"Where's the luxurious car?"
"This is more efficient for the Nightmare Realm." Kiyo said slapping the truck.
He was squeezed between bodies, half-suffocated, clinging to the back beside Rainy. She didn't speak. Just stared ahead.
The wind brushed his cheeks.
The sun peeked through the clouds.
Percy leaned back and let himself breathe. After everything, the world still had moments like this quiet, cold, and strangely beautiful.
He decided to appreciate the earth more after the lifeless world he expirenced in the land of the Forgotten.
They arrived at the gate.
It towered above them, spiraling into the sky like a wound carved into reality. The portal shimmered with dark energy not wild, not flaring, just still. Heavy.
Sovereigns gathered in clusters. Camps. Associations. Buildings, all preparing to enter the First Nightmare Realm the one that had swallowed the northern hemisphere, burying Japan beneath its shadow.
Lane turned to them.
"We're hunting in the Boreas Tombs. Avoid the arrogant sovereigns hogging the good grounds."
"Yes, sir."
Percy noticed the shift.
The jokes were gone not the same cheeky group from before.
Their eyes sharpened.
It's like they had a switch that they knew when to turn off.
After registering, they stood before the gate.
It loomed over them, silent and waiting.
Lane glanced at Percy.
"We'll be in here for three days. Try not to slow us down."
Percy nodded.
With no experience, he was prepared to enter the nightmare realm for the first time as he stepped forward.
[ You have entered the First Nightmare Realm! ]